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Daniel Gros is Director of the Brussels-based Center for European Policy Studies. He has worked for the International Monetary Fund, and served as an economic adviser to the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the French prime minister and finance minister. He is the editor of Economie Internationale and International Finance.

B/S. The first two cannot be national characteristics, only individual, and Merkel is lacking. You are right about the rest but forgot to mention the cheapest energy in Europe (including special gas pricing from Russia), heavy reliance on the best immigrant workforce in the EU and very corrupt and very successful large German businesses like Siemens, VW and the rest of them. Its a lot more complicated. But the author has gotten the trend right, it is down.

@diego orlandi
If you'd any common sense you'd have recognized your blatant error of using racial content against a EU citizen you don't know and will perhaps never get to know in your adult life. Ask yourself if you're stupid or ignoramous...!

Schadenfraude seems to be the one source of delight that the author seems to signal - EU to become less Germanic.
"Increase resistance to EU membership in Germany" - perhaps the plausible possibility that gives France the shot at # 1 within EU.
With America in retreat, Germany ceding its Numero Uno spot, Britain perennially reluctant Europeans, and Putin in China's arms - France at last has the 500 year opportunity to seize leadership in Europe. France finally in the front - with Italy Spain Poland Austria Netherlands Ireland Czech in tow - can create the FISPANIC Europe of its dreams.
Freeing Germany Russia America Britain to GRAB the World.
Waiting to see whether the future will be more FISPANIC ??
Fiat Iberia Skoda Peugeot Airbus Novartis Ibis Cartier - Welkomm !!!

Mr Leo
A Europe led by France - as German hegemony ends - is how the article appeared to me.
Sorry you did not find my comments relevant.
Thankful that you articulated your disdain - usually irrelevance gets ignored and skimmed past.
Regards
JS

The Germans had their chance to elect a new breed of leaders, but instead decided on the same old same old… Complacency vs True Governance….Having said that, the Berlin Potsdam Conference of 1945 had put many limitations on them.

As Germany transitions from being a manufacturing economy to being a financial and importing economy, she will become a rival of the London based financial center. That could earn more respectability for the Euro currency at the expense of the pound sterling. When Germany becomes a consumer economy, that can drive manufacturing and exports from other Euro members especially Fiat auto production while Volkswagen tries to repair their reputation. This would be plus for the EU and strengthen it as an economic union.